(HERNDON, VA – April 25, 2011) − American Real Estate Partners is pleased to announce the appointments of John Chesley as Managing Director, Asset Management and Scott Sterling as Managing Director & General Counsel. “We welcome John and his depth of experience in asset management, development and transaction execution across multiple asset classes and markets and Scott, with his 30 years of transactional experience representing developers and owners of commercial real estate in the Washington, D.C. area to the American Real Estate Partners executive team,” said Douglas Fleit, Chief Executive Officer. “Both John and Scott’s talents will play significant roles in American Real Estate Partner’s growth and expansion along the Eastern Seaboard.”
Prior to joining American Real Estate Partners, Chesley was a Senior Asset Manager in the real estate fund division of The Carlyle Group in Washington, D.C. While at The Carlyle Group, Chesley lead multiple operating teams in the investment management of an opportunistic real estate investment portfolio consisting of development, hospitality, residential, office and retail assets throughout the U.S. He developed and executed the investment strategy for the portfolio and was responsible for leading several successful asset repositioning plays throughout his career at The Carlyle Group.
Chesley holds a Masters in Taxation and Finance from The University of Texas at Austin and a B.B.A in finance and accounting from The University of Miami.
Before joining the firm, Sterling was an equity partner in the law firm of Holland & Knight LLP, in Washington, D.C. During that time, he participated in the structuring, documentation and closing of complex real estate transactions involving office buildings, multifamily apartment buildings, single-family residential developments, retail shopping centers, hotels and mixed-use projects.
“Scott has a great familiarity with our firm, having worked with us on a significant number of our transactions over the past decade,” said Brian Katz, President and COO of American Real Estate Partners. Sterling received his J.D. from The George Washington University School of Law, with honors, in 1981, and his Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis, magna cum laude, in 1977. Sterling was admitted to the District of Columbia Bar in 1981 and to the Virginia Bar in 2011. Sterling is “A-V” rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
